Shapes
by Shadowfang3000
Summary: "He guided her hands carefully, his fingers tempted to intertwine with her delicate digits…" - A continuation from "Love thy Neighbour", where Nu discovers Relius partaking in his favourite pastime: Carving.


(A/N) A continuation from "Love thy Neighbour, another Nu and Relius fic! :O

Rather a strange combo, but bear with me. This is somewhat of a spin off from my other Relius story "Shattered Ties", showing an encounter with Nu during his many years of research with no human contact.

This'll be a T! Though there are some perverted descriptions :P

WARNING: An OOC Relius and Nu, inaccurate history, inaccurate portrayals of carving, awkward sexual tension and perverted descriptions of scantily clad girls! D:

**Shapes**

Relius brought the knife to bear, dirtied and worn, a veteran of many cuts. Elegantly he slid it across the oaken log, bringing a peel of it off in a smooth curve. Slowly but surely, it was forming into an uncoloured rendition of an Austrian Jager, a warrior from days long lost.

It was a strange hobby he'd picked up a few months ago. Ignis had always said that he should find something to do as distraction from his work, and that a life that consisted of eating, sleeping, talking with his family and researching needed something else. He certainly enjoyed creating something without pressure, just sitting back and day dreaming as he calmly carved rough figures in the wood.

As he rounded off the soldiers legs, he heard the lightest of creaks. Having lived a life of solitude for around two years, he had gotten used to the idle sounds of his home. With the slightest twist of his head, he glanced back stealthily to see the source of the sound.

It was the girl he was housing, Nu. That's right, she'd been with him for about a week now, though she spent most of her time wandering the halls and staring out of her bedroom window. Save for their idle chatter at the dinner table, which usually ended up brief due to the two being as socially skilled as a Tarantula with acne.

She was looking through the doorway curiously, eyeing him, the knife, the model and the small stool he was seated on. He pretended to ignore her and continued his work, the girl taking small steps forward each time the sound of carving rose like a curious kitten pacing towards a bit of food.

"Like hunting a deer…" He smiled to himself. He snuck another glance: She was wearing his wife's old nightgown, the blanket he had given her when they first spoke draped across her back like a cloak and held at her shoulders by her sensitive hands. Her feet had been bare since she began living in his home, something he certainly wasn't a fan of. To be honest he didn't know why he let her wear his wife's clothing, though it was certainly the correct size: Just like with Ignis, her small, frail legs were exposed to his eye, and her breasts were accentuated by the tightness across the chest.

For Christ's sake, why did he always think of things like that?

"You should put something on your feet." He said, slicing the silence and startling Nu.

"N-Nu likes the feeling..." She replied quickly, hiding her mouth under the blanket. Relius forced a warm smile and turned back to the oak in his hand.

"W-What's mister doing?" She asked, moving closer to look over his shoulder.

"Carving a model of a Jager, a warrior from times of old." He lifted it up for her to see, blowing off some lose chunks of scrap. A curious sound emerged from her throat, sounding like a long "Ooooooooh". Relius continued, glad to have someone to share his knowledge with.

"From years before you and I existed, when war was waged with single-shot muzzle-loaded muskets and long swords wielded upon horseback. Fascinating…" He chuckled at this for some reason he couldn't understand.

"C-Can Nu hold it?" She shyly hoped, her face filled with guilt. Relius turned around to place it in her hands to find that her head had _literally _been over his shoulder, and had to recoil back suddenly to prevent their heads slamming together.

"There you go. Be careful with it, it's not very strong." He advised. She awkwardly viewed it from different angles, running her hand along its monochrome form. She seemed to enjoy the sensation of touch, something he found intriguing. To him it suggested that she'd been subjected to a life-style where she would touch little. Perhaps she was raised by overly protective parents? That could also explain why she was so shy and quiet, she may've been held back from public by those same parents.

"Mister!" She said powerfully, though from her it sounded quite lacklustre. Holding the model shakily with both hands, she tried to look him in the eye only to look away a few seconds later. She shouldn't have worried: He wanted to look away too.

"Nu… N-Nu wants to do carving…" She whispered. Even the lightest of blushes could easily be seen on her pale skin, but her cheeks were so red now it was as if she had glued stickers on her face. She pouted, assuming that he'd say no. "Can mister teach Nu…?"

How could he say no?

Really?

"Of course you may." He beckoned for her to return the model, which she reluctantly gave back. "It's a bit dangerous, so be careful." He continued, placing the model to the side of his workbench.

"Okay!" She said enthusiastically. Before he could stand from the stool and offer it to her, she did something rather awkward, and hopped onto his lap. She was very light, but the close contact was something that he was rather shy about. His chin was over her head, and her legs dangled a good ten centimetres from the ground. He felt a rubbing on his groin, but did everything he could to ignore it.

He didn't want to hurt her.

He placed the blade in her hand quickly and reached for another piece of oak. He pushed this on her other free hand, and grabbed her wrists gently.

"We're… Going to carve a figure, just follow my movements and try to keep the knife and wood steady, okay?" He said, speaking into her ear. The warmth of his breath caught her by surprise, and she flinched nervously.

"R-Right!" She did as he commanded, her small grey fingers wrapping tightly around the two items and holding them steady. She rubbed her fingers along the grooves in the wood, making an uncertain sound.

"This feels… Weird…" She whispered to herself, caressing the length slowly. Relius grumbled at the lewd image that just breached his mind, and tugged at her arms.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his hands moving from her wrists and moving closer to her hands.

"Nu's ready…" She replied, giving him control. He raised her hand up and slammed it into the log, embedding the knife into it. Following that he moved in a crescent fashion, sending a large curl of chippings to the ground. He took notice of the girls small, lipped smile. She was certainly enjoying the feeling, and to be honest?

So was he.

She was rocking back and forth on his lap, humming a tune as they carved the wood. She probably didn't realise what she was doing to his crotch, but he didn't protest. He guided her hands carefully, his fingers tempted to intertwine with her delicate digits. Slowly her nightgown was rising upwards from her smooth thighs.

Just a little more… A little more…

_Stop it._

"So then, do you think you've got the hang of the movements?" Relius asked calmly, looking over her shoulder. She smiled and nodded rapidly, excited by such a simple pastime.

"Right, what I'm going to do now is give you control. I'll keep a hold on your hands though, just in case." Nu nodded again, and slowly and gently began to carve. Relius had no real reason to keep holding her hands, he just wanted to.

She was a bit shaky, but overall doing quite well for her first time. It had taken him weeks to master the movements, it'd taken her a few minutes. The nightgown strap was slipping down her shoulder, revealing her bare, soft, pale neck.

He quickly let go of one hand and moved the strap back to its correct position.

_Good job, Relius._

X

"Nu's finished!" She giggled, her hands and lap covered in shavings and chippings. She looked back for the first time in hours, a large smile ruling her face. Relius returned the grin, reluctantly releasing his grip on her hands. She spun around, her legs dangling over his thighs like a child on Father Christmas's lap. The model was wrapped in her arms, pressed against her chest protectively.

"Very well done! Can I see?" Relius cheered, interested in her first creation. She gave it to him willingly, a look of trust in her eyes. Relius held it in one hand.

It was of a model of a man, spiky haired and tall. He looked at her curiously, wondering who it was of.

"I-It's of Ragna!" She smiled. Relius had heard her speak of this man constantly since they first met. Just who the hell was he? Her brother? Her father? Her friend?

Her lover?

"Right… It looks good... Very good." He said, bringing a hand to her head. Nu could tell that something was wrong, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Mister?" She tempted, worried that he would react badly. "W-What's wrong? Did Nu do something?"

"No, not at all… Well, it's getting late, we should both be getting to bed." Relius forced a smile, trying to look calm. _Why was he angry?_

Nu slowly slid off his lap, and followed him upstairs.

"G-Good night, mister…" She whispered. He didn't reply as they parted to their rooms.

X

Relius lay in his bed but never fell asleep. He was still asking himself why he was angry, this "Ragna" was just a man. A man that Nu had known…

Why did he instantly assume that this man was someone she loved? True, she had carved him from the wood, but perhaps he just so happened to be in her mind at the time? Who did he expect her to carve, him?

… To be honest, he did.

And there was only logical reason why.

He was falling in love again.

He'd been in love before, married to his dear Ignis. But a decade of love ended prematurely with her demise, an event he was powerless to prevent. He'd declared he'd never love again, yet in a single week he had fallen for this young girl. It wasn't just lust for her body, something his many years alone may had brought upon his sexually starved person.

It was love for who she was: A kind, innocent, sensitive and vulnerable girl who relied on _him_.

So who was he to her? Surely she didn't feel the same way? Logic dictates that he was just a kind person she happened to know.

That, and nothing more.

He swore he heard the sound of metal against wood, but decided it was his mind teasing him. He buried his face into his pillow and tried to sleep.

He was awake the whole night.

X

At around seven, Relius stumbled from his bed and trekked down the stairs to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Porridge, spoonful of sugar.

He made two bowls of course, wishing to have Nu experiment with a different taste today. Since the day she had arrived, she had had a different breakfast every morning: Toast, cereal, eggs, bacon, sausages, beans. It was almost like a parent trying interest their child in something new for once.

Perhaps that was it? Perhaps he was a parent in her eyes?

Nu wandered into the room, still clad in her nightgown and blanket, feet bare. She yawned softly, something held tightly to her chest.

"Did you sleep well?" Relius inquired, planting their bowls onto the dining table. She shook her head, rubbing her eye.

"Nu didn't…" She struggled to walk straight before flopping onto a chair. Relius noticed the object she was holding, a model covered in messy purple paint.

"What's that?" He gestured to the item, prompting Nu to tighten her grip and look downwards.

"N-Nothing…" She stuttered, flinching.

Was that a blush?

He didn't press the issue, assuming she'd simply painted the model of Ragna she crafted earlier. He gave her a bowl and spoon, and went back to his own seat. She didn't move, still clinging onto her model tightly. Relius froze, a blob of porridge wobbling precariously on his spoon.

"… Nu? You need to eat. It's nice, trust me." She shook her head, holding the model even tighter. She breathed in deeply, and spoke.

"… I-It's not…" She looked up, her face redder than a baboons bottom. "Nu… N-Nu made this for Mister Relius!" She slammed the object she was holding onto the table, and closed her eye.

It was model of him, painted and smoothly carved. She looked away, filled with apparent fear.

"Nu..?" Relius was shocked: It looked absolutely fantastic, almost to his own standard. When had she made that?

"Nu… N-Nu was awake all night… Nu used misters carving knife without misters permission… And misters paint… Nu's been naughty, b-but… Does mister like it?" She answered his thoughts, eyes welling with tears.

"It's… Outstanding, Nu… Well done…" He stuttered, before a grin exploded on his face "Well done!"

She smiled, sniffling.

Relius found himself doing the same thing.

X

(A/N) Now that was adorable to write! :P

Just a note, this is the second of three fics. I started writing this one first because I enjoyed the premise… That, and I've always wanted to imagine Relius carving :P


End file.
